When it comes to favorite places, even the most well-traveled outdoorsman can’t help but sing the praises of North Carolina in November — a season rich in fish, fowl, and friends.
In Search of Pocket Waterfalls
Although dwarfed by their thundering cousins, small-scale falls hold their own special magic. It might take some extra legwork to find one, tucked among the rugged peaks of the High Country, but stumbling upon an elfin cascade is an enchanting reward.
Red, Right, Returning
For the uninitiated, channel markers are like a secret language, mysterious and difficult to decode. For those who work and play on the water, they provide essential guidance in navigating the North Carolina coast.
Castles in the Trees
A childhood spent building forts and tree houses in the woods around High Point prepared the Ramblin’ Man for a lifetime of outdoor exploration.
A Toast to Summer Camp
For two parents of former campers, re-creating a pickup weekend involves a trip to Surry County, a visit to Shelton Vineyards, and fond recollections of past reunions. But no kids.
Catcher of the Fly
In the boggy lowlands of southeastern North Carolina, one of our state’s most famous residents lies in wait. If you cross paths with a Venus flytrap, look, but don’t touch — especially if you’re a bug.
Home Sweet Rock Pile
One of our state’s most common fishes has a rare talent. In the fresh, clear waterways of the mountains and Piedmont, bluehead chubs build nests for their young, stone by tiny stone.
Keeper of the Hemlocks
In the Piedmont, a slice of mountain paradise hangs on — a holdover from the last Ice Age and, under the stewardship of a longtime naturalist, a bastion of wild wonders.
Return to the Roanoke
As reliably as redbuds and daffodils, hickory shad herald the coming spring. This time of year, they migrate up eastern North Carolina rivers by the thousands, anglers in pursuit, as the fresh waters of their birth beckon them home.
